


The First Storm: After the Eye

by Clare_Hope



Series: The Many Storms of Sandoval Island [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Adorable Toddler, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autistic Character(s), Bisexual Character, Everyone is Queer, F/F, F/M, Gay Character, Islands, M/M, Marine Biology, Modern Era, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Lafayette, Other, Panic Attacks, Pirate Ships, Trans Character, Trigger warnings tagged in specific chapters, Turtles, astraphobia (fear of thunderstorms), factual (i promise) turtle information, lawyer AU, national parks, questionable lawyer information
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-08-31 23:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8597764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clare_Hope/pseuds/Clare_Hope
Summary: Lawyer Alexander Hamilton continues to fight for himself, John Laurens, and the turtles of Sandoval Island with blood, sweat, and tears. No storm can stand in his way.





	1. Shadow of a Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> [Part One](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7185272/chapters/16307624)

“Alexander, I'm surprised to see you back here,” Thomas Jefferson greeted him in the entrance to the courtroom. “I was under the impression that Laurens would be representing himself today.” His voice had an icy edge to it.

Alex tried to breathe deeply. He could do this. “Well, I'm sorry to have to inform you that you were under the wrong impression,” he said.

Jefferson narrowed his eyes. “Don't you know what is going to happen?” he said softly, dangerously.

“Yes,” Alex replied. “I know exactly what is going to happen. You are going to lose.” He smiled disarmingly. “I'll see you later, Thomas. Do take care.” He stalked off, leaving Jefferson a bit unnerved and suspicious.  _ Good _ , Alex thought. _ It's working _ .

John ran up to him and pulled him aside. “Alex, I'm scared. What if it doesn't work?”

“It's gonna work,” Alex said confidently, and leaned in to kiss him. 

“Alex!” John exclaimed.

“We're going to tell them all anyway in about half an hour,” Alex pointed out.

“I know.” John shivered. “But I can't, not right now.”

“Okay.” Alex’s voice softened. “It's going to be okay. We have Laf, Herc, Eliza, and Angie on our side today. Peggy skipped school to take care of Frances! John, we  _ can't  _ lose this one. Remember what we got yesterday. There's just no way.” He took John's hand and rubbed his thumb over his knuckles gently. “It's going to go  _ perfectly _ .”

“Knock on wood,” mumbled John, but he sighed and squeezed Alex’s hand once before letting go. “Come on. We need to go get ready.”

“All rise,” the bailiff called several minutes later. Alex tapped his finger against the arm of his seat nervously, the slight movement the only sign that he was anything other than perfectly calm and confident. He waited impatiently for the formalities at the beginning of the case to finish, and for the situation to be summed up briefly. He knew what was going to happen as soon as Jefferson took the stand, and sure enough…

“Your Honor, our first piece of evidence against the defendants pertains reliability of the attorney/client relationship,” he said.

Next to Alex, John shifted anxiously. Alex wished he could take his hand, but that would not have been a wise decision. They simply had to sit silently and watch as Jefferson revealed their relationship, concluding with, “So, your Honor, we would suggest that all evidence presented by the defendants be dismissed immediately on terms of unreliability and personal bias.”

The judge's expression was unreadable. “Thank you. Defense, do you have a response?”

“Actually, your Honor, we do,” Alex said.

“Proceed.”

Alex stood and faced the jury. Half of them looked disgusted, angry. The other half looked either bored, intrigued, or confused. Well, it could have been worse. “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I intend to prove without a shadow of a doubt that all of the evidence presented to you so far as to why the Empire Hotel corporation should  _ not _ be allowed to retain their permit for America Beach is completely and utterly reliable and accurate, and that it is in fact the prosecution which should be held to the standards of honesty that they claim to believe in.” He didn't so much as sneak a glance at Jefferson as he continued. “We call our first witness to the stand. Gilbert du-Motier Lafayette?”

Lafayette, clearly quite a bit uncomfortable in a suit and tie, stepped into the witness stand. They were sworn in to tell the truth, the whole truth, etc, etc, and then Alex began to question them, asking them about the picture and when and why it had been taken. Eliza, too, testified that the relationship hadn't even started until after the last court date. Then, Alex showed the jury the email, and John took to the witness stand.

Alex led John to tell the jury about Jefferson meeting with him after the email had been sent and the threats that had been said there. Jefferson tried to cut them off several times, but the judge overruled him each time. Alex felt more and more confident each time that happened. After Alex had finished questioning John, he turned back towards the jury.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, as you can clearly see from the evidence I have presented to you, Empire Hotels and their representatives are dishonest. They were willing to break the law once to keep their permit, by trying to blackmail my client into losing the case. We are sure that this is not the only time that they have behaved outside the law. Especially when there is no way that they could have attained the permit from the Secretary of Commerce lawfully and honestly since the environmental impact of building on America Beach, as explained by my client and expert witness, John Laurens, would be devastating on the loggerhead turtle population.” Alex took a deep breath. Here was the part that was going to assure them a victory.

“In fact, we have evidence and testimony from the Secretary of Commerce himself, John Jay, explaining that he was indeed contacted and threatened to be taken out of office if he didn’t grant Empire Hotels the permit to build on America Beach. George King has the resources to make sure that would happen. We all wish that corporations didn't have so much sway in our government--” There was a slight reaction and some quiet laughter from the jury. Encouraged, Alex continued, “But nonetheless, they most certainly do. However, you can take some of that power away from the big companies and back into the hands of the people by ruling that Empire Hotels should  _ not _ be allowed to keep their illegally and wrongly acquired permit.” He paused dramatically. “That is all, your Honor.” He took his seat next to John, who instantly grabbed for his hand. John was shaking, but as Alex glanced over at him, he saw that he was smiling.

It came as no surprise when, after several half-assed excuses and convoluted explanations from Jefferson, the jury ruled that Empire Hotels would lose their permit. John almost started crying, and Alex might have joined him if they weren't in front of so many people. The turtles were safe. John was safe. The storm was over.

As the jubilant friends began to leave the courtroom, intent on heading home and celebrating, Jefferson grabbed Alex by the arm and pulled him aside. “This isn't over, Alexander.”

Alex stared at him coolly. “I just destroyed your reputation as an honest lawyer, Thomas. And won the case. I'm fairly sure that it's over.”

Jefferson glared. “There are more ways to hurt someone than in a courtroom,” he spat. “You won't have ruined me without bringing yourself down, too.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Jefferson?” John interrupted. Jefferson turned towards him. Behind John stood Lafayette, Hercules, Angelica, and Eliza. Alex’s heart swelled. “Please let go of my boyfriend so we can leave with our friends and celebrate  _ our _ win.”

Jefferson released Alex’s arm. He muttered something as he walked away. Alex heard it, and wanted to punch him.

“What was that?” Lafayette said dangerously. They stepped out in front of Alex and John, hand on their hip.

“I didn't say anything.”

“Oh, really? Because I heard you call my friends here a very rude word.”

Jefferson sneered and repeated, “Fine. I said, you all are just a bunch of queers. You got lucky, but now everyone knows.

Without warning, Lafayette punched him in the face. Alex gasped as Jefferson stumbled backwards. He hadn't expected that from Laf, no matter what threats they had uttered previously. “Come, let us leave this place and this poor excuse for a human being and go do something worth our time,” they said coldly, ushering everyone out the door.

For a few seconds, everyone was just standing in stunned silence. Then, as they all piled into the car, first Alex, then John, then Angelica and Hercules and then Eliza burst out laughing.

“What are you laughing at?” Laf muttered, climbing into the very back of the car.

Hercules sat down next to them. “You are  _ amazing _ .”

From the middle, Angelica agreed. “That  _ was _ pretty amazing, Lafayette.”

Alex, in shotgun, wiped a tear of mirth away from his eye. “Laf, I have been wanting to do that again for ages. Thank you.”

“Thank you,” echoed John. “I'm glad that I have friends who will defend me.”

“Of course,  _ mon cher _ ,” Laf said immediately. “You would do the same for me. You  _ have _ , actually.”

“Still,” John said. “Thank you. Alex, I didn't actually hear what he said to you before we stepped in, but we could tell he wasn't being a good sport and congratulating you on your win.”

Alex shrugged as they started down the road. “He was trying to convince me that it wasn't over.”

“It is, though,” Hercules said. “Right?”

“Of course it is,” Alex said quickly. “He was just trying to scare me.”

“Good,” Eliza said. “That's good.”

“Dinner’s on us for free,” Angie broke in. “We can all go to Revel’s, and make an evening of it.”

“Sounds wonderful,” John said. He paused. “Thank you all. Thank you so much.”


	2. Love the Present, Fear the Future

“Daddy!” squealed Frances, rushing down the path. Peggy was chasing after her, but she reached John first.

“We won!” John cried as he swept her up and spun her around in a circle. She shrieked with glee. “The turtles are safe, baby! We won!”

Peggy started jumping up and down. “Good job!” she exclaimed.

“We're all going to Revel’s, and it's gonna be a party,” Angelica said.

Frances looked excited. “Can I stay up late?” she demanded.

John was too happy to deny her that. “Sure, darlin’.” He hugged her tightly and then put her down. “C’mon, let's get to Revel’s before tourist rush.”

For a while, as Angie cooked (with Frances’ “help”) they were the only ones in the diner. It was nice, Alex thought. He'd never had a group of friends before.

About an hour into the festivity, a few tourists came in and they had to be a bit more subdued. It was still a lot of fun, though, until at one point there was a lull in the conversation and a thought struck Alex suddenly.

Slowly, he put down his fork, staring into space. They had won. His job here was over. He was going to have to return to New York, and wouldn't be able to spend every day with John anymore. He was going to leave Laf and Herc and the Schuyler sisters and little Frances.

Everyone kept chattering, oblivious to Alex’s sudden sadness. Eliza was telling some story about someone she knew in college, and Alex barely even heard what the joke was when everyone started laughing.

Alex stood up and slipped away from the table, saying he'd be right back. He stepped outside. There was a little wooden bench next to the front walkway. He sat down on it, breathing deeply. Gazing out at the smooth expanse of sand and brush that lay between the walkway and the road that led to the beach, he realized he was going to miss more than the people here. It was a beautiful island. He would even miss the turtles, he thought.

He smiled sadly. He'd go home tomorrow. He probably should talk to John before leaving, figure out what, if anything, they were going to do, but he didn't really want to. Didn't want to acknowledge that this new...whatever it was, this relationship, was going to have to change.

The bell on the door to the diner rang softly as it opened. Alex didn't look, but he knew exactly who it was who walked out and sat next to him.

“Hi,” John said.

“Hi.”

“You okay?” asked John.

Alex debated how to answer that. “Sort of,” he decided on.

Hesitantly, ready to back off if Alex didn't want him to, John reached out and put his hand on Alex’s knee. “Is something wrong?” he asked when Alex didn't push him away.

“I have to go back to New York,” Alex told him.

“I know.”

“Tomorrow.”

John paused. “That soon?” he asked quietly.

“With Washington leaving, I have to be there to make sure everything goes smoothly. He trusts me more than anyone else at the firm, I think. I don’t want to let him down.” Alex wouldn’t look at John in the eye as he continued. “But it means I have to leave Sandoval. And I know, I know I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but, John, I...I already love it here.”

“It grows on you real fast,” agreed John. “Nowhere else in the world is quite like it.”

“I never thought I’d  _ want _ to live on an island again,” Alex said slowly. “I always thought, as soon as I got to New York and had a job and enough money to get by, I would be happy making a name for myself. Not travelling any more, no time for people. Just me and my work.”

“What changed?”

Alex hesitated. He knew exactly what had changed, but didn’t want to have to say it. After a short period of silence, though, he knew he had to. “I met you.”

John didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. His eyes welled with emotion and sparkled with compassion as he leaned towards Alex. Alex thought that he was going to kiss him, but he didn’t. He just put his head down on Alex’s shoulder and sighed softly. “What do you want to do? About us?”

“I have no idea.”

“We can try, right?”

Alex nodded. “I wouldn't have it any other way.” He paused. “Are they wondering why I'm out here?” he asked.

“I think they figured it out,” John said gently. “I said I wasn't sure if we would be coming back. Do you want to go back in?”

“I'm not really hungry,” Alex confessed.

“We can go back to the ship if you want,” offered John. “Make sure you're ready to leave tomorrow.”

“Sure you don't want to stay?” Alex said, surprised. “I can sit out here for a while.”

“No, let's go back to the ship.” John stood up and took Alex’s hand. They walked across the island in silence, the flat expanse of land that stretched out towards the ocean and the ship.

Alex was tired. He wanted to either stay here forever or just be home already.This waiting, knowing that he was going to have to say goodbye...it caused a dull ache in his chest. John seemed to sense that and brought him to his bedroom.

“You don't have to wear your court suit anymore,” John pointed out. “Change and pack and come out to the living room when you're done?”

Alex nodded wearily and John left. He sat down heavily and sighed. He just wanted to  _ sleep _ , but he gathered the energy to change into a t-shirt and shorts. The air that day was thick and heavy and warm, and wearing a suit had been really uncomfortable. He felt a lump rising in his throat as he packed up everything except what he was going to wear on the plane tomorrow, remembering how he had struggled to pack it the first time and had called Mrs. Washington in despair. Was that really only two and a half weeks ago? It seemed like longer.

Finished packing, he went out to the living room like John had said. John had also changed into more comfortable clothes and was curled up on the couch. He didn't so much as move as Alex came to sit next to him, but after Alex had settled down, he said, “It's funny how much things can change in such a short amount of time.”

“Yes,” Alex agreed.

“Like, Martha and I were only together for a month before Frances happened, and that month changed the entire course of my future, you know?”

“Yes,” repeated Alex.

Finally, John twisted to look at him. “And this case, these past two weeks. It's changed my future too, but I can't see exactly where it's gonna lead. That scares me a little, Alex.” His voice trembled. “Okay, it scares me a lot. Everything's changed now. It's not a secret anymore. Soon, everyone's gonna find out.”

“Everyone important already knew,” Alex said.

“Yeah, but that's not the  _ point _ .” Frustrated, John ran his hands through his hair, releasing the tie that had been holding it back from his face all day and letting his mass of curls fall around his shoulders. “The point is that things are different now. I'm out, mostly, I've got Jefferson and the entirety of Empire Hotels who probably want me dead, and I've got  _ you _ , and who knows what that's gonna lead to? I've never really been good about thinking of the future, Alex. It's always terrified me.”

Alex exhaled slowly. John’s confession hit him hard. He knew that not everyone could think about the future like he did, that not everyone had needed to plan and save and pray just to  _ have _ a future like he had done. And for someone like him, this kind of not knowing was different than anything he had ever experienced. He'd always had a plan. He was going to get to America and go to school and be a lawyer and then one day a Senator or another politician. Relationships had never really been a part of that long-term plan. The thought that what was happening between him and John was only partially in his control was terrifying to him as well.

“Alex? Say something,” John requested, and Alex realized that he had been lost in thought for a considerable amount of time.

“Sorry. Um, I'm scared, too. I'm used to planning and knowing exactly how things are gonna fold out, and a relationship that we don't know where it's going...Don't worry. I'm worried too.” Alex sighed and sank down further into the couch. “But I still want to do it.”

“Me, too,” John said quickly. “And I think we can make it work. Right?”

Alex shrugged helplessly. “I've never been in a serious relationship before. I don't know how these things work, to be honest. Especially not when I'm gonna live in NYC and you're in South Carolina.”

“Distance can be a problem,” John admitted. “But not if we're smart. And except during nesting and hatching season, I can visit New York. I've never been, actually. You can show me around?”

Alex managed a smile at the prospect. “I can do that,” he agreed.

John grinned back at him and flopped down across his lap. “And you can come back here sometimes, if you can get away. Besides, LPST could benefit from having a lawyer we could call whenever we need one, especially if Jefferson decides to take revenge on us.”

“I'd like to see him try,” Alex said. He gazed down at John fondly. John closed his eyes and shifted slightly. Alex trailed his hand down John's arm.

John shivered slightly and rolled over so his torso was draped over Alex’s lap and his face pressed down in the couch next to Alex’s thigh. He rested his head on his hands, tilting his face up to look at Alex. He blinked slowly. “You make a lovely pillow,” he mumbled.

Alex laughed. “You know it.” John stretched like a cat, trembling slightly with effort before flopping back down. His shirt had pulled up a little, exposing a couple inches of dark tan skin patterned with the same splotchy freckles on his face. Alex couldn’t resist touching them lightly, tracing his finger from one spot to another.

“What are you doing?” John murmured.

“Playing connect-the-dots,” Alex said. “Or drawing constellations. Take your pick.”

“Oh. Well, whatever it is, it feels nice.” John relaxed.

Alex continued for a few minutes. John’s skin was smooth and warm, and Alex tugged the edge of his shirt up a few more inches, revealing even more freckles. “John, I think you have more freckles than regular skin,” Alex laughed.

“Shut up,” John said, pouting.

“I’m not making fun of you. I was just remarking.” Alex looked down at him, still drawing patterns on his speckled skin. “You’re so cute,” he said softly.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” John returned, tilting his head to wink.

“I know,” Alex said confidently. John snorted.

“There’s even more freckles further up,” he hinted.

Alex laughed quietly and moved his hand higher up on John’s back. John let out a quiet sigh and practically melted into the touch. Alex gazed down affectionately at the beautiful, kind man. He could have stayed on this couch for hours, just touching him like this, but he knew it was going to be over all too soon. “I don’t want to leave tomorrow,” he said softly.

John groaned loudly. “I was trying not to think about that, why did you remind me?”

“Sorry,” Alex said. “I don’t want to think about it, either, but I can’t stop.”

“I know. I can’t, either.” John paused. “I’ve been thinking. I want to convince people to make Sandoval at least a state wildlife reserve.”

“You thinking about hiring a lawyer for that?” Alex asked hopefully.

“I had one in mind, yeah,” John said.

“Tell me about him.”

“Well, he’s very smart, and very kind--which is really unusual for a lawyer--hey!” John yelped as Alex poked him. “Do you want me to keep going or not?”

“Yes, please,” Alex replied sheepishly.

John continued. “And really short--ack!” Alex had poked him harshly again. “Stop it!”

“Okay, okay.”

“ _ Really _ short,” John went on. “But he’s brilliant, and really attractive. He’s only been in my life for a little while, but he’s already built himself a big place in my heart. Actually, I think he’s stealing it. But he’s incredible, and I wouldn’t prefer it to be stolen by anyone else.”

“Oh,” Alex whispered. “John, are you sure you’re talking about me?”

John looked up at him blankly. “Who said I was talking about you?” A slight pause, in which Alex felt hurt for about two seconds before John cracked up.

“You  _ idiot _ ,” Alex exclaimed. He shoved John off his lap. John toppled elegantly to the floor and struck a pose with his arms over his head and his legs crossed.

“Yeah, but you know you love me,” he teased. “And of course I was talking about you.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Idiot,” he said again.

John clambered back up onto the couch and sprawled across Alex’s lap again, face up this time. “You know you love me,” he repeated.

“Uh-huh, remind me again why that is?” Alex teased.

“Because I rattle off speeches about how great you are in third person?” John suggested. “Also, you think I’m cute.”

Alex ran his thumb across John’s cheekbone. “You are.”

John blushed. “What can I say, I was born with it,” he mumbled.

“Nah, nothing your dad gave you could’ve made you this adorable,” Alex informed him. “All of your beauty comes from inside of you.”

“All of it?”

“Most of it,” Alex laughed.

“Hmm.” John closed his eyes. “Good. I like a healthy balance of physical and personality attractiveness.”

“Don’t we all.”

“What if I told you that one outweighs the other in your case?” John asked.

Alex blinked and thought quickly. “Oh, my physical beauty far outstrips my personality, John, which I realize is hard to do. I already know that.”

“Why, you conceited little--!” John exclaimed, sitting up to gaze at Alex in disbelief. Alex was laughing. “Idiot.”

“Definitely,” Alex agreed.

John stared. His breath quickened slightly. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said.

“Sounds good,” Alex replied quickly. John pushed him down backwards onto the couch, pressing their lips together. They were so close that Alex could feel John’s heart beating, a rapid flutter against his chest as they kissed. At that moment, Alex forgot that he was leaving the next morning, forgot that he was still worried about Jefferson deciding to take revenge, forgot everything except the feeling of John’s body against his.

Quite a while later, Alex and John were curled up in John’s bed, wrapped around each other so thoroughly that Alex wasn’t sure where he ended and John began. “What time is it?” Alex mumbled.

“Really?” John said. “That’s all you’ve got to say for yourself.”

“Uh-huh,” was all Alex said.

“Ten thirty,” John answered. He was facing the clock and Alex wasn’t, which was why he had asked. Alex was too exhausted to even roll over. Plus, that would mean not touching John as much as he was.

“Nice,” Alex said. He blinked slowly. His nose was less than an inch away from John’s face. “Um...what if, uh, what if Laf and Frances get back?”

John smirked. “I let Laf know not to bring her back until late, and that if they could get her to fall asleep and just carry her to her bed, that would be fantastic.”

“Clever,” Alex allowed.

“Yep. They won’t try to find us.” John kissed him slowly, letting his lips linger on the side of Alex’s mouth as he pulled away.

“Good,” said Alex. He yawned widely.

“Want me to turn the lights off?” John asked sympathetically. “It’s gonna be an early morning to catch your plane.”

Alex didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to stay awake and aware of being in John’s arms for as long as he could be, but he knew that John was right. “Okay,” he said, yawning again.

John laughed softly and kissed the tip of his nose. Then he rolled out of bed to reach for the light switch.

“Wait,” Alex said impulsively.

“Huh?” John asked, turning back towards Alex.

Alex studied every inch of John’s skin that he could see (which was a considerable amount) and nodded. “I’m pretty sure you  _ do _ have more freckles than regular skin,” he confirmed. “Okay, that was all.” He nestled down underneath the covers.

John stared. “You’re so...I’m not sure.” He turned off the lights and laid back down next to Alex, tugging him into his arms. “Goodnight,” he whispered.

“Goodnight,” Alex responded. He tucked his head under John's chin and closed his eyes, losing himself in sleep and dreams of the ocean and John.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of fluff, with a side dish of angst. Hope you enjoyed it! I've missed telling you guys to take care of yourselves, so here's an extra long note. Have you stood up and stretched in the last hour? Do that. Your body and your mind might not always be on the same page, but that's a simple way to get them closer together. Have a drink of water--if your brain cells aren't hydrated enough, you'll have a hard time enjoying fanfiction. Is it late? Should you be going to bed? Sleep is really good for you, it makes it so the "happiness" neurotransmitters replenish more quickly. If there's something happening tomorrow that you're dreading, so you don't want to go to sleep because then it'll arrive sooner, take a deep breath. Know that I am here, and I believe in you. You can't see me, but I'm thinking of you and I want you to get some rest. I'll tuck you in and kiss your forehead and tell you to have sweet dreams, because you deserve only the best dreams. You're strong enough to get through anything. You're so amazing, I'm in awe of you. Wow, you're wonderful. Take care of yourself, the world would be worse off without you in it. I love you! <3 ~Clare


	3. Talk Less

“You need to wake up, sleepy,” a soft voice whispered into Alex’s ear. “Alex...wake up, darlin’.”

“Mmph.” Alex blinked awake slowly. “G’mornin’.”

John stood next to the bed, fully dressed. “Good morning. You gotta get up and get ready to leave. It's almost seven.”

“I want to stay,” Alex whined, but sat up all the same. He got dressed, said goodbye to Frances and Lafayette, and brushed off their concerns that Alex hadn't eaten breakfast. “I'll have something on the plane.” Truth was, he was too sad to eat. New York was going to seem boring next to Sandoval.

John drove him alone, teasing Laf by saying, “This way, you can't take any more pictures.” The joking around was only to cover up that he, too, was already missing Alex.

“I'll call you when I land,” Alex said quietly outside the airport.

“You do that,” John replied. He hesitated. “I'll let you know about the whole state wildlife reserve situation, if I figure things out.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Hey, I'll see you soon, okay?” John said. “We're gonna make this work.”

“I know.” Alex smiled sadly. “I know.”

John looked like he wanted to say something else, but didn't. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Alex instead, holding him tightly. As he took a step back, his hands lingered on Alex’s shoulders. “Bye.”

Alex pulled him forward and kissed him quickly. “Bye.” Then he turned and pulled his suitcase away through the entrance to the airport, leaving John standing alone outside. Slowly, John turned back towards his car and drove away.

 

“Welcome back,” Aaron said from his desk.

“Thanks,” Alex said tiredly. He collapsed down into his chair and turned on his computer. He stared at the screen blankly for several minutes, not even trying to make it look like he was working.

Aaron cleared his throat. “Alexander, are you alright?”

“Huh?” Alex asked distractedly.

“Well, we all heard what happened. I just was wondering if you were alright.” Burr’s voice held a reasonable amount of clinical concern, but he certainly didn't seem to stoop as low as to care.

Alex bristled. “What exactly did you hear happened?” he asked snappishly.

Aaron held up his hands. “Jefferson has been talking--”

“Oh, you're talking to Jefferson now?”

“He isn't that bad, Alex, you just...you two just rub each other the wrong way.”

Alex stared in disbelief. “Jefferson is a horrible person,” he stated. “The fact that we don't get along is because he is a horrible person. We don't ‘rub each other the wrong way’.”

“My mistake,” Aaron said calmly. “But anyway, I heard that you and your client were in a relationship that nearly compromised your integrity, and Jefferson wanted to reveal it to protect the honor of the case.”

“Protect the--Burr, he openly blackmailed John!” exclaimed Alex. “He threatened him. Jefferson is just sore that  _ we _ were the ones who managed to expose  _ him _ as dishonest.”

“And you won the case,” Aaron commented.

“Yes. Hang on,  _ why _ were you talking to Jefferson in the first place?”

Aaron sighed, which was about as much emotion as he ever showed. “Because, Alexander, I'd like to be on our new boss’s good side, that's why.”

“Jefferson will never be in charge of this firm,” Alex insisted. How could Burr even think that Washington would allow that? It would never happen.

“Well, believe me, I'd prefer that to be true as well. But I'd be a fool not to see what was going to happen. Jefferson is going to buy the firm. Even after what you did to him in South Carolina, he still holds a lot of power as a lawyer.” Burr shrugged. “But even so, if you can think of an alternative person who could take charge, I'd love to hear it.”

“Well, I'd say I could try, but I don't think that's going to happen.”

“Alexander,  _ I'd  _ have a better chance of getting the position than you,” Burr said, amused.

“Ha, nobody even knows who you are, Aaron, you're too quiet.”

“They don't need to  _ know _ me. And they don't like you, even if they know your name.”

Alex sputtered. “Excuse me?”

“You know, I might just try to get the position,” Aaron said thoughtfully. “But maybe not. I'm willing to wait for it. That might be your problem, Alexander. You have no patience for anything. That's  _ why _ most people aren't very fond of you, because you never stop talking long enough for people to think about what you're saying.”

“What?” was all Alex could even think to say. Burr was expressing more opinions in that one little speech than Alex had ever heard him say in the year he had known him.

“Well, it's the truth,” Aaron said simply.

Alex was honestly too shocked to be offended. “Sorry?” he offered.

“You don't need to apologize to  _ me.  _ But Alex, just...if you want some advice…”

_ I really don't.  _

“Talk less,” Aaron continued. “Smile more. People will listen to you more if you do.”

“You can't be serious,” Alex scoffed. 

Aaron shrugged. “Just some advice. Take it or leave it.”

“It's been a nice talk, but don't you have some work you need to be doing?” Alex snapped, finally fed up.

“Of course,” Aaron allowed. “I have to go and get a signature from Washington for a new case, I'll talk to you later.”

Alex stared at him as he left the office with a stack of papers in his hands.  _ What the hell was that? _

He managed to forget about the unnerving conversation as he went on with the rest of his day. That day turned into a week, the week into two weeks, and Alex found himself falling back into a comfortable old routine, though now there was the ever-present, looming knowledge that Washington was going to be leaving and that Jefferson might be taking over. The days crept by, and Alex made it through by calling John every evening to complain and rant and listen to John talk passionately about the turtles (“The first nest hatched last night, Alex, I wasn't expecting any until next week! They're so cute, they're so tiny, but they're gonna get as big as that one you saw while she was laying, isn't that amazing?”).

Alex missed Sandoval a lot. He had once thought that the city was the only place for him anymore, that the constant traffic sounds and the smell of smoke and food and garbage and exhaust was what he was meant to be hearing and smelling. But he missed the gentle lapping of the ocean and the faintly salty air that reminded him of the childhood he had told himself to forget about. Maybe remembering wasn't such a bad thing.

The day finally came: Washington's last day of work. By that time, all of his employees knew that he was retiring, and he called them all into the break room. Alex claimed one of the chairs and waited for his boss to begin speaking. There were about ten other employees who worked at the firm. None of them really liked Alex, and he knew that none of them would know or care that he was the one who had written the words that Washington was about to say.

When Washington finished talking, after he said everything he wanted to say about holding true to the ideals that the firm had been founded on and about staying impartial, he announced something that Alex hadn't been expecting.

“I know that some of you might have heard the rumors that Thomas Jefferson will be taking my position as head of this firm, but in fact, Mr. John Adams is going to be taking over.”

Alex did a double take.  _ What _ ? Adams was the last person he expected to get the job. Not only was he quite rude, he wasn't as authoritative or as charismatic as either Washington or even Jefferson. He was smart, but did  _ not _ seem capable of running a law firm. Also, he didn't like Alex. Most people didn't like Alex, but Adams  _ really _ didn't like Alex. As in, Alex wondered if Washington knew that Adams was probably going to fire Alex at the first chance he got.

_ This is not going to go well _ , Alex thought glumly.  _ Not well at all _ .

 

“How's the wildlife reserve idea going?” Alex asked as soon as John answered the phone that evening.

“Hello to you, too,” John laughed. “That was abrupt, darlin’, didn't Washington retire today? I was expecting you to tell me about that.”

“Well, Jefferson isn't going to be taking over, but someone else who hates me is, and I doubt I'm going to be employed for much longer, so I was hoping you could take my mind off things,” Alex explained. “Also, I might have to just go into lone business and you might have to kickstart me by giving me the wildlife reserve job. So how's it going?”

“Oh, man,” John said sympathetically. “That sounds tough. Well, it's going. It's going very slowly, but I've started to talk to people and push things into place. I think I've gotten a couple of people on board with my plan, like, some National Park Service people even. If you do happen to get laid off, you'll definitely have a place with LPST as our permanent, resident lawyer.”

Even though Alex had figured John would say that, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. “Thanks, babe. We'll see how it goes, but I really want to take you up on that offer.”

“Looking forward to seeing you again.” Suddenly, there was a loud wail on John's side of the line. “Oh, um, Frances just started screaming. I'll talk to you later?”

“Of course. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Bye!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ehhhhhhhhhhhh god i'm so tired lmao. I've been applying to colleges and scholarships until the tips of my fingers are blistered from typing and I just wrote an entire essay about the women of Othello for English and...I really just want to be asleep right now, but I couldn't leave you guys any longer without another chapter. A warning, my updating IS going to be really sporadic until after New Year's because of all this stuff, but I will really try. And if anyone else is out there on the internet and happened upon this story while avoiding responsibilities irl and if anyone is just trying to ignore the stress this time of year always brings: Breathe. Take a deep breath, and remember that I love you and I think you're hecka cool and strong and there's like, no doubt in my mind that you can do it. Also, if there's someone you want to kiss, you should do it (as long as everything's like consensual and stuff don't do anything stupid, I doubt you would bc you're awesome but I just felt the need to clarify that, also I think I'm gonna stop typing and go to bed because I have no idea what I'm saying at this point lmao) Well goodnight and sweet dreams and you're cute and I'm sending you as many virtual hugs as you want. <3<3<3<3<3 ~Clare (is exhausted)


	4. Going Home

“You have no authority over me to tell me that I'm doing my job wrong!” Alex shouted at Adams.

“Actually, I'm your boss, you Creole bastard,” spat Adams, standing up angrily. “So I do.”

_ That's it. _ “Sit  _ down _ , John, you fat motherfucker!” cried Alex.

“Get out! Leave!”

“Fine!”

_ I probably shouldn't have called him fat _ , Alex reflected a few hours later, as he tried to drink himself into forgetfulness. As much as he hated working under Adams, the firm was his first job he had loved. He would miss it there.

Curled up miserably on his couch, Alex stared at his phone. Should he call John? Tell him that he had only lasted a week with Adams as his boss?  _ No _ , his drunken mind provided.  _ Call Laf.  _

“Alex,  _ mon cher _ , what is it?” they asked as they picked up the phone.

“I just got fired,” Alex mumbled. “Like, today.”

“Oh, I am sorry!” Laf exclaimed. “ _ Mon cher _ , are you alright? You sound…”

“I'm drunk,” Alex admitted. “At home. I want to go home.” He felt a lump rising in his throat.

“But you just said you were at home,  _ cher _ ?” they pointed out.

Alex put his head in his hands. “No, no,  _ home. _ Home. I don't--I don't even know where that is, anymore.”

“Oh,  _ mon cher _ ,” they murmured. “Oh, Alex.”

“I'm fine,” he said. “How...how are you?”

“I? I am fine, Alex. We are all fine here. Would...would you like to come back to us here? You are welcome to our home.”

Alex’s thoughts weren't very clear. “Thanks,” he said. “Um. I'm gonna go. Thanks.”

“No problem, Alex. Be safe. Perhaps go to sleep?” they suggested.

“Will do.” Alex hung up and dropped his phone onto the couch next to him. He looked dismally at the bottle of beer in his hand and put it down on the table, then closed his eyes. A tear leaked out of the corner of one. He wasn't even sure why he was so upset. It wasn't like he wanted to keep working there. After Washington left, there was nothing to keep him there anyway.

Maybe he was just angry at himself. He couldn't keep his mouth shut when it really mattered. He couldn't be polite to someone he despised, couldn't even pretend. Maybe Aaron had been right. Maybe he did need to talk less. Maybe things would get better if he did that. Maybe he really did need to change. Maybe…

Spiraling downwards, Alex’s thoughts continued to spin in an awful pattern of anger and bitterness and self-hatred, until he was asleep.

 

The next morning, there were several missed calls and a lot of text messages on Alex’s nearly dead phone. Stumbling over to the wall to plug it in, he read the messages.

_ Alex, Laf says you got fired?! Are you okay?  _ -J.Laurens

_ Answer me.  _ -J.Laurens

_ I'm worried about you _ -J.Laurens

_ ALEX _ -J.Laurens

_ Okay I'm gonna assume you're asleep now but if you don't text me back in the morning I'm flying up to new York to find you.  _ -J.Laurens 

Alex groaned. “Shit,” he muttered.  _ I should probably call him. _

“Alex?” John answered his phone, speaking softly. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Alex responded. Then, to both his and John’s surprise, he burst into tears. “John, I fucked up,” he whimpered.

“Whoa, shh, baby, it's okay.”

“I was gonna be amazing in this job, I was gonna rise to the top and I just got into a fight with Adams and now I'm never gonna get back into the firm, I'm out of a job and I'm not gonna be able to do anything, and I'll never be able to get enough support to run a campaign for Senator, nobody likes me enough for that, I know I sound like a toddler, but it's true!” he finished with a sob.

John had patiently waited for him to finish before speaking. “Alright, first of all, it is  _ so _ not true that nobody likes you. I like you, Laf likes you, Frances likes you, Herc likes you, the Schuylers like you...need I go on?”

Alex sniffed. “You guys are different.”

“Yeah. We're smarter than the average American.”

“But the average American is who I'd need to appeal to if I was gonna run for office,” Alex pointed out, wiping his eyes roughly.

John sighed. “I know. I know. Baby, do you want to come back down to Sandoval? I'm really close to getting the National Park Service on board with my plan, and having a lawyer around might be a big help. Plus, I miss you.”

Alex managed a smile. “I miss you, too. And there's nothing keeping me here anymore except my shitty apartment, which I’ve been wanting to leave, anyway.” His face fell. “Oh. John...I don't think I have enough money for a plane ticket.”

“Hey, I'll pay.” Alex was about to protest but John cut him off. “I'd be a terrible employer if I didn't pay for your travel expenses, and if you're going to be LPST’s lawyer, then it's all covered.”

“Oh. Okay.” It wasn't easy, but Alex took a deep breath and said, “Thank you.”

“No problem, baby. Now, how long do you think you need before you come back down?”

Alex thought quickly. “Three days? And thank you. Thank you. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, baby. Three days sounds perfect. Will...will I need to buy you a return ticket, or will you be staying here?” John asked.

Holding his breath, Alex gave that a minute of thought. It was true that he had nothing left in New York, but all the same, wasn't this what he had worked for his whole life? He was going to get off an island and move to the city, and now he wanted to move back to an island. That was hard to wrap his mind around. But as he thought, he vaguely remembered that when he had called Lafayette the night before, he had told them he wasn't sure where home was anymore. Now, though, the only place that Alex could see when he pictured home was  _ The Revolution _ , and John and Frances. Maybe that was his home. “No return ticket,” he said decisively, and felt a shudder of relief ripple down his back. “If that's alright?”

“It's perfect,” John told him. “It's perfect. I'll get your ticket and send it to you, okay?”

“I'll start packing.” Suddenly, Alex laughed breathlessly. “John--I'm moving to Sandoval Island,” he realized.

“I know you are,” John replied. “I'm so glad you are. Get packing, okay, baby? I'll talk to you tomorrow. And hey--you might have lost a job yesterday, but you got another one today. And I'm pretty sure you're gonna be happier with this one.”

“You're right.” Alex shook his head. “Talk to you tomorrow. I love you.”

“I love you, too. G’bye.” John hung up. Alex sat there for a minute, just wrapping his head around the idea that he was actually moving to Sandoval. In three days. Three days.

He started packing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a while, I know. If you remember my last note, I told you guys that I was working on applying for colleges. Well, big news....I got accepted into my top-choice college! I'm so incredibly excited. It's going to be tough to figure out how to pay for it, but I'm going to try to make it work. Hey, y'all gotta promise me that you're going to buy my books when they're published, okay? I promise they're all pretty darn gay.
> 
> As always, I really and truly love you, okay? Seriously, the past few weeks I've been really stressed and worried and anxious and self-doubtful, and I keep coming back and reading all your lovely comments and it's honestly given me the strength to keep going. So you gotta keep going too, okay? For me? If you want to save the turtles, you better stick with me, because someday I'm going to basically be what John is in this story, and I'm only gonna make it if you stick with me. Really. You're all so wonderful. Thank you for reading, drink a glass of water, think about your favorite place you've ever been. I hope you all get to travel the world and fulfill all your dreams...No, I KNOW you'll do that. How could you ever doubt it? Find your balance between Wait for It and Nonstop, and you'll be unstoppable. <3 ~Clare (is hopeful)


	5. Just How It Works

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an emotional roller coaster of a chapter. You have been warned.

Alex stood and surveyed his now totally empty apartment for the last time. He didn't have very much  _ stuff _ , so it had been easy to clear the place out and inform the landlord that he was leaving. In the cheap apartment building in that part of town, short notice for moving was common. He had managed to pack everything he needed into two checked bags and a carry-on, and got rid of or sold the rest.

He bid farewell to the place he had called home for a year and a half and left, feeling slightly sad but not really. He kind of hated this apartment.

At the airport, Alex called John. “I'm on my way,” he said.

John replied joyfully, “Laf and me will be at Charleston waiting for you!”

“I'll see you there.”

“See you there. Have a safe flight, my darlin’. I love you.”

Alex had a slight panic attack on the plane, but he forced himself to breathe fairly evenly and shoved his headphones harder down over his ears until he fell asleep for about an hour. 

Feeling more tired than before, he woke up groggy and uncomfortably aware of how the plane was really just a tube zipping through the air, with only two long, thin bits of metal keeping it in the air. It could fall out of the sky at any moment. If there was a storm--

_ No _ , Alex told himself.  _ We are  _ so _ not doing this right now _ .

Managing to successfully avoid another panic attack, Alex tried to read for the duration of the flight. He didn't get very far into his book, but it distracted him well enough to get through the trip until the landing. At that point, the only thing that got him through was squeezing his eyes tightly shut and repeating some lyrics to a song over and over again in his head. It wasn't a very smooth landing, and Alex was incredibly grateful to finally step off the plane into the warm South Carolinian airport.

He got his luggage and dragged it with difficulty over to where John and Laf would be waiting for him. He felt more than saw the enthusiastic French person rushing at him and sweeping him up into a warm embrace. Alex dropped his luggage to hug them back. “Lafayette!”

“Alexander! I have missed you, my friend!” they said affectionately. They released him and held him at arm's length, looking him over. “How are you?”

“Glad to be back.” Alex smiled at them, but was also looking around for John.

Lafayette turned him around quickly and gave him a little shove. Alex stumbled forward and, upon spotting John running up to him, leapt on him. “Alex!” John greeted, hugging him tightly.

In response, Alex tilted his head back and stood up on his tiptoes just a little to be able to reach John's mouth easier, kissing him hard. John didn't stop him, and pressed their lips together even harder. Alex had  _ missed _ this, kissing John until his lips were numb and his head felt a little light from lack of breathing.

Finally, panting and reluctant, Alex pulled away. “I'm here,” he announced.

John appeared slightly stunned by the force of Alex’s kiss. “So you are,” he said. “You're here for good. My God, I missed you.”

Alex cupped his hand around John’s brown, freckled cheek. He reveled in the feeling of John’s skin, warm and solid and  _ there _ , after not touching him for over a month. “I missed you, too,” he murmured. He gazed up at John lovingly, wanting to kiss him again and again, deeper each time, but he knew they were going to have to wait until they got to Sandoval.

Lafayette cleared their throat. “Shall we be off? Little Frances was practically bouncing off the walls this morning with excitement when we told her you were coming home,  _ mon ami _ .”

Alex broke his gaze with John. “I missed her, too,” he laughed. He was surprised by how happy and light he felt, the anxiety from the plane ride gone completely. “Let's go home.”

On the way to the island, Alex recounted exactly how he had gotten fired, which caused Lafayette to gasp in shock and John to have a fit of uncontrollable laughter. “You said that to him?” he exclaimed.

Alex nodded sheepishly. “To be fair, he deserved it.”

“I'll bet he did,” John chuckled.

Changing the subject, Alex asked, “How's it been with the, um, picture? You haven't been telling me about that at all, and I haven't been asking yet, but I'm curious.”

John’s back stiffened. His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “It hadn't been too bad. We lost a lot of rich old funders, which has taken a real toll on our resources, but honestly, I'm sure I didn't want them as donors in the first place.” His unhappy tone blatantly contradicted his flippant words.

“I'm sorry,” Alex said quietly. He still felt as if it was his fault that John had been outed, no matter how many times John tried to claim it was fine. It wasn't. “And you? How are you doing, with everything?”

It was a loaded question. For a minute, John didn't answer. “I'm...I'm okay,” he said eventually.

“No, he is not,” Laf broke in sharply. “He is better than when last we came back, but he is worse than he has been in years before that.”

“Lafayette!” John cried.

“It is the truth, and he should know it,  _ mon cher _ ,” they replied.

Alex shifted uncomfortably. “Lafayette, if he doesn't want to say something, you shouldn't…”

“I'm fine,” John reiterated. “They're overreacting.”

“I am not,” Laf muttered, but left it alone after that. The rest of the car ride and ferry trip passed in silence, and Alex wished that he had not said anything about the picture.

When they reached  _ The Revolution _ , the first thing Alex heard as he stepped onto the deck was Frances wailing. John’s tired eyes turned fierce as soon as he heard his baby crying, and he rushed off down the steps without a word to Alex or Lafayette.

Alex shot an alarmed look to Laf, who was heading off down after John. “Peggy has her today,” they told Alex. “But the child has not been sleeping well, and she is often upset.”

“Oh, no,” Alex murmured. Frances’ sobs were softening into quiet whimpers as he and Laf approached the living room.

“Shh, shh,” John was saying as they came into the room. Peggy was sitting on the floor with her head in her hands, looking utterly exhausted. Frances was being held by John as he paced around the room, bouncing the little girl gently. Her head of curls was down on John’s shoulder, and tears were dripping down her plump cheeks. “Shh,” John continued. “It's okay, baby. It's okay. I'm back.”

Lafayette went over to Peggy. “ _ Ma cherie _ , is she alright?”

“She hasn't taken a nap and she refused to go to sleep until her daddy came back,” Peggy lamented. “I don't understand it. She never used to be like this.” She looked up then and saw Alex. “Hi,” she said tiredly.

“Hi,” he returned.

Frances let out a loud sniff and Alex turned towards her. She was looking at him with wide, tear-stained eyes. “Awex?” she said, slipping into a baby-talk voice with tiredness.

“Hi, honey,” he told her softly. “You okay?”

She shook her head, her father holding her a little closer. “I...I gotta tell you something.” She held her arms out to him, and John passed her over to him. A little surprised, Alex took her and balanced her on his hip.

“What's up,  _ niñita _ ?” he asked. He used the Spanish without really realizing that he was doing it.

Frances leaned her mouth to Alex’s ear and whispered, her light breath ghosting over his neck, “I'm scared.”

“Why is that?” he replied, in the same soft whisper that she had used.

In response, she shook her head sharply and burst into tears again. John took her from Alex’s arms and said, “Okay, baby. It's definitely time for you to take a nap. Alex, Laf, Peggy, I'll be right back.” He took Frances out into the hallway and down to her room, speaking softly all the way and trying to calm her down.

Distressed, Alex sat down heavily on the couch. He really had no idea why Frances had wanted to tell him that she was scared, or why she had started crying afterwards. But then, she was a tired four-year-old. It wasn't like that was a recipe for comprehensibility.

“She's been acting like that for a week now,” Peggy sighed. “I just don't understand it.”

Lafayette patted her shoulder consolingly. “I don't believe that even John understands,  _ ma cherie _ . When Frances is ready to tell us, she will. But such a young child cannot always know how to make adults understand the problem. We speak very different languages.”

“I guess you're right,” Peggy said. “Alex, what did she say to you? I couldn't hear it.”

“She said she was scared,” Alex replied dully. “But she didn't say what she was scared of.”

“I'm sure that whatever it is, we will figure it out. We are all back together now,  _ oui _ , we can do just about anything.” Their optimism did nothing to erase the sense of foreboding that hung over Alex’s heart.

Trying to shake that feeling, Alex started talking about ways to get Sandoval into the National Park Service, just for something to say. Peggy and Lafayette listened, even though Alex was sure they didn't really understand half of what he was saying.

After a few minutes, John came back into the room. “She's asleep,” he said, a note of relief in his voice. He dropped down on the couch next to Alex, who put an arm around him. “Sorry. I should have warned you she was acting like that.”

Almost by habit, Alex began stroking John's hair calmingly. “It's fine. I hope everything's alright.”

“It might just be that she isn't fond of winter, and it's almost November,” John mused. “But I don't think that's all.”

“Alex says she told him she was scared,” Peggy piped up.

“I know she's scared. I just don't know what she's scared  _ of _ ,” John snapped. Then he inhaled sharply and held his breath for a few seconds. Alex thought that he might have been counting in his head, because after about ten seconds, he let his breath out slowly. “Sorry,” he whispered. Before anyone could say anything else, he plastered a false smile on his face and changed the subject. “Okay, so we've got the Turtle Crew back together again, and we've got our own resident lawyer. What should our next move be?”

Alex quickly delved into some National Park Service policy he had been researching. He asked John questions about the island and the turtles to keep him engaged and from drifting off into his land of paternal worry, even if he didn't really need the answers at that exact moment. John obliged, and after a while, Peggy excused herself. Lafayette followed her, leaving John and Alex alone. 

They continued talking, about the law and other things, their conversation turning into being about practically nothing before Frances came toddling into the room, rubbing her eyes and stumbling slightly. “Daddy?” she said, seeming still half-asleep.

“Hey, baby,” John replied, jumping off the couch to scoop his daughter up in his arms. “Did you have a good nap?”

She shook her head. “I keep having bad dreams,” she mumbled.

John shot Alex a look. “Really?” he asked, keeping his voice perfectly calm and level. “What are the bad dreams about, darlin’?”

Frances buried her face in her dad's shoulder. “The turtles,” she whispered. “I'm scared they're not gonna make it now that they're all hatched and swimmed away in the water. You said it's not safe for baby turtles out there, and what if the bad people try to build on other beaches and you and Mr. Alex aren't there to stop them?”

“Ohhhh,” John breathed. He started bouncing Frances slightly and began to pace across the room with her like she was a much younger child. “Frances, baby, was this...did you hear me talking to Lafayette and ‘Liza the other week about how most of the baby turtles don't make it to grow up?”

She let out a muffled sob. “I don't want the turtles to die, daddy, why can't we save them all? They're just little. They're just like me, daddy. They're just...they're just little. Why don't their mommies take better care of them?” she wailed.

John seemed to be holding back his own tears as he responded, “Shh, shh, Frances. I know. I know. I really do know, but you gotta understand something, baby. Now, I wasn't really gonna explain this for a while, not before you went to school, but if you're old enough to ask, you're old enough to learn. Hey, can Alex hold you for a minute while I go get a book? I'll be right back. It won't take a minute.”

Frances sniffed. “Okay,” she said quietly, and John put her down on Alex’s lap.

“You're scared for the turtles?” Alex asked as John ran off to get whatever book he had mentioned.

She sighed softly. “I don't want the turtles to die. I don't understand why their mommies leave after making their nests.”

Alex blinked as he suddenly understood what Frances meant. “Turtles aren't like people, Frances. Their mommies don't need to stay and watch the nests, they're supposed to be on their own. Oh...I think your dad is gonna explain in a minute,” he finished helplessly.

John came back into the room, lugging a large book with him. “C’mere, Frances, let's sit down here on the floor,” he invited. She scrambled off of Alex’s lap but tugged him down by his hand. He sat cross-legged on the floor next to John, letting him be in the middle as he opened his book. There were lots of pictures as well as big blocks of text in small print. Frances immediately seemed captivated by the enchanting sketches and paintings.

The book looked old, very old. So old that there weren't any photographs. All the pictures were hand-drawn. John flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

“Turtle!” Frances exclaimed, pointing. A lovely illustration of a green sea turtle was positioned on the left hand page, and on the right there were two columns of tiny printed text.

“Yep,” John confirmed. “Now, I'm gonna tell you a couple of thing about turtles and why they're different than people. So, out of all the critters on Earth, there's two main survivorship curves...um, two ways that the species will raise their babies. They're called K and R. People are K. That means they don't have many babies, and they take very good care of them to make sure they live to grow up. And turtles are R, which means they have a lot of babies and don't take care of them, because since there are so many of them, at least a few of them from each nest will survive.”

Frances screwed her face up in concentration. “But then...most of the turtles  _ do _ die when they're babies,” she said.

“Yeah, a lot of them don't make it very long. But some of them will, Frances. Some of them are gonna live to be fifty, sixty, seventy years, sometimes even longer. They'll come back to these beaches when they're ready to lay their own eggs, and the cycle will begin all over again.” John pushed the book away for a minute to gather Frances up in his lap.

She gazed up at him. “But why don't the mommies take care of them and make sure more of them make it?” she asked.

“She doesn't have the energy. She used it all to make her babies, to grow so many of them, so she has to go out and take care of herself and get ready to have more babies in a few years,” John explained. “People take care of their babies. So do elephants, and whales, and most big mammals and some birds. But then there's critters like turtles, and a lot of reptiles and bugs, who just have lots and lots of babies and leave them to fend for themselves. Some of them make it and some don't. That's just how it works.”

“It's sad,” Frances whispered.

John nodded. “It's kind of sad. But remember, I've told you, the whole world is a system. It's balanced. Nature knows what it's doing, baby, and it isn't really up to us to decide that what it's doing is wrong.”

“Even if that means baby turtles dying?” Frances demanded. “But you saved them from the bad people who wanted to mess up their beaches.”

John glanced at Alex. “Baby, sometimes...well, a lot of people  _ don't  _ understand how nature works. And so sometimes you gotta fight against people to let nature do its thing. Sometimes, people need to protect nature from people.”

Frances hesitated. After a minute, she nodded tentatively. “I think...I think I get it. But...I have another question.”

“Anything, baby,” John said, sounding almost relieved.

She started fiddling with the hem of her soft t-shirt. Very quietly, she said, “If people are supposed to stay and take care of their babies, why didn't mommy?”

Alex was out. This wasn't his conversation to have, to listen to. This was something intensely personal and private, something John and Frances needed to talk about by themselves. Alex brushed his fingers over John's hair in silent support as he fled to the hallway.

He wondered if he was going to still be in the room he had slept in previously. He didn't know if John intended to have him do that, or if he was going to sleep in John's room. He decided to go and sit in the kitchen until John came to find him, however long that took. In the meantime, he got a glass of water and sat at the table.

A few minutes later, Hercules Mulligan burst into the room. “Where’s John?” he demanded.

Alex jumped. “Um, he's with Frances in the living room. Why? Is something wrong?”

Hercules had an expression of mild panic on his face, his dark brown eyes wide and worried. “John’s dad just arrived on the island. He's coming towards the ship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said...
> 
> Also, I don't have much more written. I'm working on it, but I'm having difficulty with this part of the story. If anyone wants to have a sneak peak at the next few chapters and possibly also have a say in what happens, because I'm totally lost and I need help, come talk to me on [tumblr](http://marqueer-de-lafayette.tumblr.com/). Please, I'm serious, I need some help if I'm going to continue this story indefinitely, which is what I want to do because I have so many ideas for the future of Sandoval Island and its inhabitants.
> 
> On another note, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! 2017 is going to be a better year than 2016 for everyone reading this. I can feel it. Keep reading, keep writing, keep singing, keep creating and consuming. Keep being awesome, because the world is so much better because you're in it. <3 <3 <3 ~Clare


	6. An Unwelcome Guest

Alex stared. “John’s dad? Coming here? I thought they hadn't spoken in years, why--”

Hercules grabbed his arm. “I don't know, but we need to go tell John. Now!” Together they raced down the corridor. Hercules practically flew into the room and declared, “John, it's a code Blue.” Alex frowned. They had  _ codes _ for things?

John, who was holding a sleeping Frances in his lap, looked stunned. “Wh-what? He's here? For real?”

“‘Fraid so.”

“Shit,” John mouthed silently, not wanting to curse in front of his daughter. “Uh, um, uh, Alex, can you take Frances please?” He jumped to his feet and thrust the toddler into Alex’s arms. “Keep her out of the way. In fact, hide, keep her well away from everything that's going to happen. I don't need her hearing the words that are gonna be exchanged soon.”

“Is…” Alex stumbled, “there anything I can do to help?”

John didn't answer, just brushed past him and bolted up the stairs to the deck following Hercules. Alex was left holding the slumbering child, whose brown freckled cheeks still held the remnants of salty tear tracks. Alex kissed her forehead and walked quickly down to her room, setting her down on her low bed. She blinked as he put her down. “Awex? What's happening?” she murmured sleepily.

“Shh, everything is fine. You daddy's got to take care of something and then he'll be back. In the meantime, can you take a little bit of a nap for me?” Alex requested softly. “That's it, just lay down, niñita. Everything's gonna be fine. Sleep, now, cariña.” He petted down her feather-soft curls briefly until she closed her eyes and fell asleep in the semi-darkness of the small room. Then, ignoring John’s request to stay far away from whatever was about to happen, he headed up towards the deck, prepared to fight or flee, prepared for anything.

On the deck, Alex could see three people up near the edge of the beach where the road began. One was John, one was Herc, and Alex assumed that the third person was John's father. They might have been quite far away, but Alex could hear every word they said. Well, shouted.

“... _ fuck _ are you doing here?”

“I came to see my son and my granddaughter!”

“Henry!” Hercules tried to break in, but John shoved him out of the way.

Alex was racing down the ladder of  _ The Revolution _ and across the sandy beach. He wasn't sure what he was going to do once he reached them, but just from the tone of John's voice, he knew he needed to do something. “What is going on?” he cried.

John didn't even turn around. “Alex, stay out of this!”

Henry stared at Alex. “Jack, is that…”

“Alex,  _ leave _ !” shouted John. “Herc, get him out of here.”

Hercules grabbed Alex’s arm and they fled back to the ship. Henry’s screaming at John echoed after them. “That's him, isn't it? I thought he was gone! Thomas said he was gone!”

“Thomas?! You've talked to Jefferson?” John demanded.

“Holy shit, that's John's dad?” Alex muttered, back on the deck.

Hercules cast a despairing glance back down at the beach. “Yeah. That's John's dad.”

Alex’s heart was pounding. “When he saw me…”

“Henry probably heard about your relationship,” admitted Hercules. “And I'm sure he's not too happy about that.”

Hands shaking, Alex said, “John...will he be okay?”

Herc shrugged. “We'll make sure he is. Now listen, go back and stay with Frances. Don't come back out. You'll make it worse.” He turned away and want back down to the beach, leaving Alex standing, hurt and confused, on the deck.

After a few seconds, Alex headed back to where the sleeping Frances lay and scooped her up. He sat on the couch with the little girl slumbering in his arms. A couple times, she sniffed and squirmed into a more comfortable position, but she didn't wake up.

Alex felt sick. God, the last thing he wanted was to make John’s relationship with his dad even worse. He gazed down at Frances, wondering what had made the world decide to dump so much awfulness onto such a sweet kid. Without realizing it directly, Alex at that moment promised himself and her that he would do anything it took to stop her from having to experience any more tragedy and hardship.

Several minutes later, John came stomping through the hallway. Alex heard him coming. So did Frances. She woke up and started rubbing her eyes at the same time that John burst through the door. Alex braced himself for impact. “I told you to stay here!” John shouted at Alex.

Frances flinched. So did Alex. “John--” Alex started.

“Shut up!” John cried. He snatched Frances from Alex and whirled around, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him with a resounding crash. Frances let out a yelp of surprise, but Alex was silent. Guilt and self-loathing coursed through his veins. He slowly bent over to press his face into his hands.

A quiet knock on the door came not too long later. Hercules opened the door and came in without waiting for Alex to answer. “Yo, Alex, sorry about all that.”

“The hell are you apologizing to me for?” Alex muttered.

“Sorry you had to deal with that.” Herc sat down next to him. “John isn't actually mad at you. Really. He's always upset after talking to his father, and he just takes it out on everyone. He just took Frances to stay with the Schuylers because he doesn't want her to have to see him like this.”

“And...Henry?” Alex asked hesitantly.

Hercules looked guarded. “Gone for now. Stormed off to the mainland. He'll be back, though. He doesn't give up easy.”

Alex nodded. “Okay. We...we can handle this, right? We will get through it?”

“Yeah. Hey, we're the Revolutionary Set. You knock us down, we get the fuck back up again.” Herc elbowed Alex affectionately. “You good?”

“No, but I'm getting there,” Alex said truthfully. Suddenly, he yawned. It had been a long, stressful day and traveling always made him tired. “I'm gonna go lie down for a bit. Tell John...well, tell him I'm sorry when he gets back.”

“You don't need to--yeah, I'll tell him,” sighed Hercules. “Go get some rest.”

“Thanks.” Alex crept away through the ship, hearing the creaks and whispers of the old, sturdy wood that he had missed so much when he was in New York. He found his old room and sat down on the bed with the lights off. He dug his headphones and phone out of his pockets and started some songs at random. He didn't care what he was listening to, just as long as he was listening to something other than his own thoughts.

Eventually, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep where he was always just barely aware that he should be doing something other than sleeping. There was nothing for him to do, however, he reminded himself every time he startled himself awake, and fell back asleep.

After a while of this unrestful sleep, he felt more than saw someone crawl into bed next to him. He stirred slightly, but someone whispered into his ear, “Shhh, darlin’. Go back to sleep. I'm sorry for everything, baby. You're fine, shh, go to sleep.”

And Alex did, now that John was there next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't say I'm sorry enough times. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. <3 ~Clare


	7. Impossible to Understand

A few hours later, Alex opened his eyes to find himself surprisingly well rested. He yawned and stretched.

“Have a good nap?” John asked softly.

Alex nodded.

“I'm so sorry for snapping at you earlier,” John sighed. “I'm not mad at you. I promise. You were only trying to help, I know, none of it was your fault.”

“Thanks,” mumbled Alex and cuddled up next to John. “Everything okay?”

John heaved a sigh. “Yeah. I mean, it sucks that my dad is here, and I hate acting like this, but our National Park liaison and advisor arrives tomorrow. So that's good. And I spoke with her on the phone the other day, and she's got a French accent. Laf is thrilled to have someone else to talk to in French.”

“Really,” Alex said. “What's her name?”

“Adrienne something-or-other. She seems like she'll really fit in around here. I'm looking forward to meeting her.” John pressed his face into Alex’s hair. “How many times can I tell you I'm sorry before it gets annoying?” he asked suddenly.

“John, I'm not gonna get annoyed. But really, you don't need to apologize.” Alex yawned and sat up. “How long was I asleep?” he asked.

“A couple hours. It's almost three now. Want to go eat something?” John asked. “We can talk about something that isn't how sucky everything is right now.”

“That sounds wonderful.” Alex got out of bed, yawning. He walked hand in hand with John to the kitchen and sat down at the table while John pulled out a couple of bagels and began chattering about the recent discovery of a new species of fish at the Great Barrier Reef. Alex found himself getting very engaged in the conversation, and was learning a lot about what happened in the scientific community when a new species was found, when there was a loud crash from down the hallway.

“What the…” John broke off and went down the hallway to investigate. Alex followed, curious.

Lying on the floor, trying to maintain their dignity, sat a slightly dazed Lafayette. They appeared to have tripped over one of Frances’ toys which had been left out. “Hi,” they said sheepishly.

Alex couldn't help laughing. “Laf, what…”

Painfully, Lafayette stood up. “Hercules told me what had happened, with your dad, and I came running as soon as I could.” They glanced down ruefully at the ground. “I think I might have run a little too quickly.”

John raised his eyebrows. “You think? Well, you're here now. Come on, let's eat and talk about the park.”

Limping dramatically, Laf followed them into the kitchen. The three sat there for a while, discussing the future of the island and many other topics until eventually Laf stood up. “I am so sorry, mon chers, I have to leave now. John, are you sure you are alright?”

“Of course I'm not,” John replied. “But I've got Alex.” He shot Alex a smile, and Alex began to blush.

Lafayette rolled their eyes and left.

“I wish I could actually do something,” Alex sighed as soon as they were gone.

John stood up. He walked right over to Alex, put his hands firmly on the lawyer’s shoulders, and leaned down so they were eye to eye. “You are doing everything, Alexander. Everything.” Then he kissed him firmly. “And more.”

Alex couldn't meet John’s eyes. “Thanks. Still…”

“No,” John cut him off, “no ‘still’. You are doing everything. You are everything, and you don't need to be anything more. Now, I'm tired of being holed up in here and talking about the island. Come down to America Beach with me.”

“Okay,” Alex agreed eagerly. He finished the last bite of his sandwich and dropped his dishes into the sink.

The walk to the beach was calming. Nobody was out on the island. It was a hot, sticky late afternoon, and despite the heat, Alex clung to John's hand and pressed as close to him as possible.

No longer nesting season, Alex and John could walk around the sand freely without worrying about crushing any turtle eggs. “Have you ever been snorkeling?” John asked.

“No, I'm not much of a swimmer,” Alex admitted.

“Well, at some point, we need to snorkel together around here. Nothing quite compares to swimming out to the edge of the shore shelf, the end of the reef, and looking out at the huge expanse of ocean in front of you.” John sat down in the sand, gazing out at the ocean. “It's so incredibly vast, Alex. Whenever I feel like everything is too much, I just try to remember the ocean, and how it feels to be inside something so seemingly infinite, while knowing at the same time that I can have an effect on something that big. It feels like I'm the most helpless creature and the most powerful god, all at the same time. And I just think...that feeling is so inexplicable, I've got to keep going until I understand it.”

Unable to stop himself, Alex dropped down next to John on the soft, pale sand and said, “That's how I feel when I look at you.”

Taken aback, John glanced over at him. “I'm not anything like the ocean.”

“You're beautiful and mysterious and I'm in awe of you,” Alex said. “You know more about the ocean than the ocean probably knows about itself. And no matter how scared I get, I know I have to keep going because I need to try to understand you, even though that's impossible.”

John got a faraway look in his eyes. “I love you. I love your words, Alexander.”

“I love you, too, John.” Alex offered John his hand, and John took it. Together, they sat and watched the tide go out, the waves lapping gently against the smooth sand, and the sun sinking slowly on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a short (hopefully good) chapter, but I'll make up for it by saying I'm actually writing it again! I've only got up to chapter nine finished, but I'm writing chapter ten right now (like I clicked away from it ten seconds ago because I thought I'd give this little snippet to y'all as a reward for being so freaking patient, honestly, I'm impatient to know what happens next and frustrated with how long it's taking and I'm writing it) so I've got hopes! I promise, I'm not abandoning it, or you guys. I could never do that, the validation I get from you is all that keeps me going lmao.
> 
> But I do have a couple questions I'd love for you to answer, because there are several directions I can take the story from here and I'm not sure where I want to go. So...How self-indulgent can I make this story without you guys hating it? Should they be successful in making the national park and then eventually Alex becomes a successful politician and head of the National Park service and they just travel all the beautiful places in the US for eternity? There are a few small storylines coming up that I have to finish first (get ready for Maria Reynolds, y'all) but after that...the road is open. Where do you want to go?
> 
> Thanks for reading! I really would love to hear your opinions, because I'm as indecisive as Burr when it comes to decisions about my writing. I hope everyone has been having a good February! It's a lovely month, despite...no, because of how short it is. When they say to appreciate the little things in life, I think they must be talking about the month of February. It's so tiny. Okay, I'm going to stop talking and get back to writing the story now! (Let's be real, that's what you guys want.) Drink some water, remember to take your meds, and go to bed early at some point this week! Reread a book that you used to love but have sort of forgotten about, and let me know how much it feels like coming home. Keep being amazing, I love you, and I'll talk to you again soon! <3 ~Clare
> 
> P.S. If anyone wants to come befriend me on tumblr, please do, I'm not intimidating at all, I swear, I'm literally sitting on my bed with my laptop on my lap and procrastinating writing by watching cat videos, I need more friends. <3


	8. Mademoiselle Noailles

“Alex!”

“What?” Alex mumbled, still mostly asleep.

John was kneeling on the bed next to him and bouncing up and down excitedly. “Are you coming?”

“What?” repeated Alex, rolling over and opening his eyes to look curiously up at John.

“Laf and I are going to go pick up Adrienne Noailles! Her plane comes in this morning! Are you ready to meet the new member of the turtle crew?”

“I'm ready to go back to sleep,” Alex muttered and shut his eyes stubbornly. A couple seconds later, he let out a loud grunt when John flopped down on top of his chest.

“Alex! Wake up, wake up, wake up! Come on, Alex!”

“Leave me alone, John.”

“Nope! Get up and get dressed and come eat breakfast! Lafayette made French toast, which both of us thought was really funny but also it tastes amazing and they put extra cinnamon on!”

With a sigh, Alex sat up. “You're very cheerful this morning,” he observed.

“I talked to Adrienne on the phone again last night--”

“When was this?” asked Alex.

“After you were asleep. Anyway, she is so excited! Apparently she's never been this far east, she usually works in Yosemite and was working on the campaign to extend some of the California National Parks, but when she heard that some people were trying to get a park approved in South Carolina, she just knew she had to come here.”

“You've got a lot of words for this early in the morning,” Alex yawned.

“You're one to talk.” John hopped off the bed. “Anyway, you should come into the kitchen before me and Laf and Frances eat all the food.”

Grumbling, Alex got out of bed. “I'll be out in a minute.”

Delighted, John kissed him quickly. “Thank you!” He left the room, presumably to go eat more of the French toast.

Alex shook his head. He smiled at John’s receding back. He couldn't believe how cute John was when he was happy.

After getting dressed, Alex went out to the kitchen, his socks slipping a little on the wooden floor. Frances, seated in John’s lap, had her entire face covered in maple syrup. John was half-heartedly trying to wipe the stickiness away, but he gave up when Alex walked in.

“Mon cher!” Lafayette greeted happily from over near the stove. “I saved you some toast! If I hadn't, John and Frances would have eaten it all.”

“We still might,” John corrected. “Better watch out, Alex!”

Frances rubbed her fingers against a spot of syrup on her cheek, only succeeding in spreading it around further. “Yeah, better watch out!” she echoed.

“Oh, yeah, I'm terrified,” Alex said as he sat down. He reached across the table and smudged the droplet of syrup on the little girl's nose. Her face scrunched up as she laughed.

Lafayette deposited a plate of French toast in front of Alex. “Here you go!”

Before Alex had a chance to even thank them, John and Frances had both swiped a piece off his plate. “Hey!” he yelped.

Frances put the piece back, giggling, but John took a bite of his before returning it. “There you go!”

“Oh, thanks.” Alex rolled his eyes and started pouring maple syrup over the toast.

When Peggy came over to take care of Frances, John, Alex, and Lafayette left for the mainland to meet Adrienne Noailles at the airport.

As they stood waiting near the baggage claim, Alex kept looking around. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, since he had no idea what Adrienne looked like, but he didn't stop. And then, he saw someone else. Someone he wasn't expecting.

“Alexander?” James Madison called from across the room as he caught Alex’s eye. He walked over to the three friends, who all tensed slightly.

“James. What are you doing here?” Alex asked tersely.

“I just flew out here to join Thomas,” said Madison.

Alex stared. “Join...Jefferson is here?” he demanded. “Since when?”

“Alex…” John said softly.

“Thomas has been in South Carolina for a couple weeks now for a case. It has nothing to do with you, Alexander. I promise.” Madison shook his head. “See you later, Alex.”

“See you,” Alex responded, staring dumbfoundedly at Madison as he walked away. He turned to John and Lafayette. “He's here! He's in this state!”

“Alex, calm down. Madison said that it has nothing to do with us.” John reached out and squeezed Alex’s hand.

“And you believe that?” exclaimed Alex.

“I have no reason not to,” John said calmly. “So please. Please, stop.”

Lafayette nudged John eagerly. “Look! That's her, right!” They pointed to a tall, dark-skinned woman standing at the edge of the baggage claim.

“Um, yeah!” John said happily. “I think it is. Alex, can...can we talk about this later?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

John started walking over to the woman. “Excuse me?”

She turned around, her long, jangly gold necklace clinking softly. As she saw John, she smiled widely. “Monsieur Laurens! It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” She shook his hand warmly.

“Miss Noailles,” replied John. “It's wonderful to meet you, too. Can I introduce my friends and coworkers, Gilbert Lafayette and Alexander Hamilton?”

Laf and Alex had walked up to John and Adrienne. Lafayette was staring wide-eyed at the beautiful woman. “ _ Bonjour _ ,” they said eagerly.

She shook their hand. “ _ Bonjour...monsieur?”  _ Her voice was unsure and questioning.

Lafayette shrugged. “Not entirely, but that works.”

“Alex Hamilton,” Alex interrupted, reaching to shake Adrienne’s hand. “It's nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Alex. Oh! There's my bag,” Adrienne noticed. “Excuse me.” She rushed over to the carousel.

Lafayette looked at John helplessly. John laughed. “Just breathe it out, buddy,” he told them.

“She's so--”

“We got it,” John said. “Don't worry, we'll make sure she gets it soon.” He patted their shoulder as Adrienne walked back over.

“Thank you for that,” she said. “And thank you so much for coming to get me, I'm really looking forward to seeing Sandoval Island.”

“Thank you! It's a beautiful place,” John said. “Come on, we'll take you back to our base. I think I've told you, it's a bit...unconventional, but you'll love it.”

“ _ Oui _ , the ship Revolution,” Adrienne recalled. “It does not sail much, does it? I'm afraid I get seasick.”

“No, she's grounded, unfortunately. I'd love to get her sailing some day, but I doubt it'll ever happen.”

“Someday, perhaps,” Adrienne said amicably.

“Someday.” John smiled at her as they walked through the airport. Alex thought about that, about sailing on  _ The Revolution _ out on the ocean. He couldn't suppress a shiver. He wasn't comfortable with sailing. But for John, he would do anything.

Late that night, after seemingly endless discussions on the laws and processes of creating a National Park, Alex found himself staring at the notes he had taken on his computer. His eyes stung, and the screen seemed far too bright. His shorthand looked like an indecipherable code. He must have made some noise of frustration, because John looked up from his sketchbook with a sigh.

“Alex, come to bed.”

“I'm fine.”

“Alex,” John repeated a little more forcibly. “Come. To. Bed.”

“Okay, okay, I'm coming,” Alex muttered. He closed his laptop with a yawn and stood up, stumbling over to the bed.

John placed his sketchbook on the nightstand and turned the light off. He adjusted the covers over himself and made sure Alex had his fair share as well before settling down. “What do you think about Adrienne?” he asked softly.

Alex couldn't refrain from reaching out and touching John’s cheek lightly. The light coming in from the hallway was just enough to hit the edge of John’s face and provide a slight glowing outline. He was so beautiful. “I think she seems nice,” he replied. “Laf totally has a crush on her.”

“Obviously. But...do you think that we're going to need more people on board with this? I mean, we have me and you and Laf and Adrienne full-time now, and the Schuylers and Herc will help when they can, but they all have their own jobs, too. Surely we need more people on our side.” John sounded worried.

“Calm down, my dear,” Alex told him, laughing a little. “As soon as people hear about what we're doing, they'll flock to us. Tomorrow, even. Tomorrow, there'll be more of us. But let it wait until tomorrow, because I am exhausted.”

“Alright,” conceded John. “Alright. Goodnight, Alexander. I love you.”

“I love you, too, John.” As John closed his eyes, Alex kept his open. He couldn't take his eyes off this beautiful man lying next to him just yet. He could barely believe that he was lucky enough to have John beside him. Sleep could wait.

A few seconds later, John opened his eyes again. “Alex, I can tell you aren't falling asleep,” he mumbled. “Close your eyes and sleep.”

“Not while I can look at you,” Alex whispered.

John snorted. “Go to  _ sleep _ , Alexander.” He pulled Alex close roughly and planted a kiss firmly on Alex’s mouth. “Right now.”

“Can't argue with that,” Alex said, and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna stop apologizing and making promises for more frequent updates because it might just not happen like that and I hate breaking promises. But there is more to the story. Thanks so much to R_Wil for helping me out and being my new beta! Ur the best! Actually, all of my readers are the best, and I love them all dearly. Have a drink of water and remember that you have the dust of stars running through your veins. You're a miracle of existence, and I'm grateful to be alive on this planet with you. <3 Much love. ~Clare


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